Prindle



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. W. E. PRINDLE. I SLED PROPELLBR.

, Patented Dec 18, 1894..v

wfimms g. 761%; A. @J'J. 4

thereon, which form a NITED, STATES WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, OF AURORA, ILIJINOIS, ASSIGNOR PATENT OFFIQE- S LED- PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,274, dated December 18,1894.

Application filed March 23, 1894. Serial No. 504,845. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PRIND LE, of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles to be Propelled by the Rider or Riders on Ice or Snow; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked part of this specification. V

The object of my invention is to provide means for propelling sleds, by the meet which a very slight degree of power will give a'strong impetus to the sled, and without any tendency to lift the sled by such use, and also to provide means for steering and for braking thesled by the agency of the same device that is used for propelling it.

.My invention consists generally iu a system of levers, to one of which is pivoted a swinging lever spur for biting the snow or ice and propelling the sled, one arm of said spur being connected indirectly to the operating lever, whereby the movement in one direction of the operating lever will cause the spur to bite the snow or ice and propel the sled with a long sweep, while the reverse movement of the operating lever will raise the spur from the ground and return it to its former position. f

My invention also includes an additional spur serving as a brake, and which is brought into operation in the reverse direction from that of the propelling spur, and only when needed, by giving to the return movement of the operating or propelling lever a longer forward sweep than is required when. propelling the sled, and whereby the bringing into use of said additional spur (if situated half way between the runners) or when one of said spurs is on each side of the sled and both are operated, they will act as a brake; or when one only of said spurs is operated, it will serve to guide or steer in the direction on the side of which said spur is located.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sled with my invention or to the inside of the runner.

applied thereto, only one set of my improved devices being shown, those for the other side it is to be understood being duplicates of those illustrated. Fig. 2 is a similar view of my invention as applied to a long sled to be used by several persons, and showing a multiplication of the propelling devices. Fig. 3 shows my invention as applied to a bicycle sled.

Similar letters represent like parts in all the figures.

A is the sled body and B is one of its runners.

O is a swinging bar or arm which is suspended from bracket D at the back part of the sled; and E is a lever'spur pivoted between its ends to the lower end of said arm 0. The arm of the spur E opposite to that which is adapted to bite the ground is pivotally connected to one end of a long longitudinally movable rod or link F, in such manner that the first part of the forward movement of'said link will raise the biting end of the spur E from the ground, and the first part of the backward movement'of the rod F will lower the biting end of the spur to the ground. The other end of the link F is pivoted to the upper end of lever G, which is journaled at its lower end to the front portion of the sled (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

H is a hand lever (Figs. 1 and 2), journaled at its lower end to the lower part of the sled or to the inside of the runner, and extending some distance above the sled body A, and said lever is connected to the lever G by a link I.

'The above named devices constitute the propelling apparatus of the sled.

OF ONE-HALF TO ALFRED HQ'RAMEY, OF SAME PLACE. V I

K is a lever fulcrumed at it s-upper end to I the sled body A back of the lever H, extending somewhat rearward and provided at its lower end with a fixed spur L. A coil spring a (Fig. 1) connects the lever K with the rear portion M of the sled frame, and serves to hold the spur L up out of contact with the snow or ice when the lever K is not brought into operation. l

N is a rod or link supported in a guide yoke O which is secured to the sled body A, one end of said link N being loosely attached or pivoted to the lever K, while said link is provided at or near its forward end and in front of the lever H with a lateral pin or projection I), said pin or projection extendingaeross the line of movement of said leverI-I.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The parts being in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1, with the hand lever 11 almost vertical, when said lever is drawn backward or toward the back of the sled, the beginning of said movement, will through the instrumentality of the link I, lever G, and rod F, cause first the lever spur E to swing down upon the snow or ice-covered ground while the continued backward movement of said lever II, will cause the rod F to push the spur E backward upon the snow or ice with a long sweep of the arm 0 in the are of a circle, this arm being the radius of the same, with its pivotal suspended point e as its center. This long sweep of the spur E, which can be given in a moment by the above system of links and levers, and by onlya comparatively short movement of the hand lever II, will give a decided impetus to the sled and impel it forward a considerable distance, and by only one stroke. On the return or forwardmovement of the hand lever II, the spur E will first be swung up away from the ground, and on the continuation of said movement the parts will be returned to their originalpositions.

If it be desired to steer orbrake the sled, a

still further forward 'movement of the lever II will cause it to strike against the pin or projection b of the rod N and to force it for ward so as to draw down the spurL upon the ground. If the lever H on the right side of the sled be so operated, the corresponding spur L will be brought into play, and the sled will be guided to the right, and if the spurL on the left of the sled be brought into play by its lever H, the sled will be guided to the left. If, however, both spurs are drawn down against the ground, the sled willbe braked, which will also be the case if there be only one spur L, and at a point half way between the runners. On the return movement of the lever or levers II, the'spring or springs a will draw up the spur or spurs L away from contact with the ground.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, a different steering and brake mechanism is used from that shown in Fig. 1, viz: Pivoted to. each runnerB near its rear end is a lever spur P, and in front of said lever spur and also pivoted to the runner, is a hand lever Q, similar to the lovers II, said lever Q and one arm of the lever spur P being loosely 0011- This mechanism is en nected by a link S. tirely independent of the propelling mechanism, and is adapted to be operated by a perplied to a sled of the form of a bicycle.

are drawn back, both of said spurs P will be forced against the ground, and the sled will be braked. When the handle Q is pushed forward, its corresponding spur I will be raised away from the ground.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown raised seats T for the riders on the sled, and in Fig. 2 with the hanging arm 0 suspended from the backs of said seats. In Fig. 2 also I have shown the seat U for the steerer and brakeman raised much higher than the other seats, in order that he maybe able to look over the heads of the other riders, and have provided a foot rest V'for him which is connected to the back of the seat in front of said seat U. As the seat U is raised so much above the others, it is necessary that the lever Q should be much longer than the levers II, as shown.

In Fig. 31 have shown my invention as ap- In thisconstructiou, instead of having long parallel runners, as shown in the preceding ligures, the sled is supported preferably on three runners, two in the rearand one in front; or, when adapted for racing, on two small runnet's arranged in line like the two wheels of a bicycle. The 'rearrunner (or runners) W is fixed and rigidlysupported bythe upright braces X and Y, and the front runner Z is providedwith an upwardly extending journal rod (1, which passes through a fixed sleeve 6 on the front of the supporting frame A, and which is adapted to be turned in said sleeve tosteer the sled. Forming also a part of the frame A is a long sleeve f extending above the sleeve e andconnected therewith by a brace g. The upper part of the journal rod cl is jointed tothe steering rod 13 which passes through thesleeve f and which is also provided with the steering handle 0. The seat D is supported on the rear portion of the frame A andback of the handle G.

The above described parts are like and correspond to similar parts of abicycle.

E is a longitudinal brace which connects the rear runner W with the lower portion of the frame A.

Instead of the simple lever G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I use a bell-crank lever I G pivoted to the lower part of the frame A, the long upper arm F of said lever being pivoted to the rod F, and the shorter arm G to a link H, which is also pivoted to a treadle lever I. Said treadle lever is pivotally suspended upon the frame A at h, and a coil spring t'connects the treadle I with that part of the frame A above said treadle, and serves to keep thesame raised when not depressed by the riders foot or otherwise. The

pressure on the treadle I, will, through the intervention of the link 11, depress the arm G of the bell-crank lever, and cause the arm F of said lever and the rod F to move rearward, when the same turning and sweeping action of the spur E will take place as was related in connection with the other figures. When pressure upon the pedal I is removed, the spring 2' will draw the link H, spur E and intermediate'parts back to their former positions, with the spur E raised up hicle for riding over the snow'and ice, a swinging arm suspended from the sled or vehicle,

the spur pivoted between its ends to said arm, the operating lever pivoted in front of said arm, a lever pivoted in front of the operating lever, a link connecting said two levers, and another link connecting the lever in front of the operating lever with one arm of the spur, all combined and adapted to operate as set forth.

3. In combination with a sled or other vehicle for riding over the snoyv and ice, a swinging arm suspended from the sled or vehicle, the spur E pivoted between its ends to said arm, and a longitudinally movable rod connected with one arm of the spur, said arm being adapted to raise the biting end of the spur on the first part of its forward movement, and to lower said end of the spur to the ground on the first part of the backward movement of said rod, all as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In'combination with the lever for operating the propelling devices of the sled or other vehicle, the rod- N, loosely suspended from the sled body, and provided with a pin or projection extending over the line of return movement of the propelling lever and adapted to engage with said'lever, the swinging lever K having a spur on its lower end, and connected with the rod N, and means for holding up said lever and spur out ofcontact' with the snow or ice, except when said lever is operated, all as set forth.

WILLIAM E. PRINDLE. Witnesses:

ALICE M. OALLAN, CLARA LUCK. 

